Imperial College Laboratory for Ultrafast X-ray Diffraction (LUXD)

帝国理工学院超快 X 射线衍射实验室 (LUXD)

• 批准号: EP/X030261/1
• 负责人: Jasper Van Thor
• 金额: $ 415.26万
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FX030261%2F1
• 关键词: Imperial; College; Laboratory; Ultrafast; ray

Light induced processes are fundamental in Nature. Indeed, the Sun is the earth's energy source and it's light is captured and converted in a multitude of different molecular processes, on intrinsic ultrafast time scale. Whilst the 20th century was the scientific era in which the structure of matter drove much scientific discovery and technology in the 21st century we are now poised to see the emergence of structural dynamics as a driving force in science and technology. The desire to create "molecular movies" of molecular function and light induced processes has driven rapid technological advances in the area of ultrafast crystallography. A picture says more than a thousand words. Indeed, the most direct observation of a molecular motion is a time resolved measurement in 'real-space' of the atomic coordinates. The spatial resolution is achieved by crystallography with Angstrom wavelength radiation, while the time resolution is achieved with the generation of intense femtosecond pulses for both the excitation and the X-ray probe. Recent developments in laser technology allow the construction of a laboratory based instrument that is capable of femtosecond time resolved X-ray crystallography primarily using the powder diffraction method.The instrumentation will enable a large range of science applications, including experiments photopharmacology, solar cell research, energy storage, optoelectronics, pyroelectrics, nuclear coherence research, nanophotonics and plasmonics, colloids and biomolecular structure. A compelling example will be the demonstration of a photoisomerisation reaction of a dye-based photoswitching molecule which is used for photopharmacology and energy storage. The ultrafast measurements will determine the excited state reconfiguration and non-adiabatic dynamics of cis/trans photoisomerisation of the organic molecule. The impact is demonstrated by usage of the indigoid moiety in photopharmacology targets such that light regulates the substrate binding in biomolecular target molecules.Additionally, studies of the structural dynamics following illumination of solar energy materials are vital to understand and optimise functions In particular, with the rapid developments in the solar cell technology, novel materials and continuous improvements in the efficiency will require ultrafast structural measurements of the materials and even working devices.

光诱导过程是自然界的基础。事实上，太阳是地球的能源，它的光在固有的超快时间尺度上通过多种不同的分子过程被捕获和转换。虽然 20 世纪是物质结构推动许多科学发现和技术的科学时代，但在 21 世纪，我们现在已经准备好看到结构动力学作为科学和技术驱动力的出现。创造分子功能和光诱导过程的“分子电影”的愿望推动了超快晶体学领域的快速技术进步。一张图胜过千言万语。事实上，对分子运动最直接的观察是原子坐标“真实空间”中的时间分辨测量。空间分辨率是通过使用埃波长辐射的晶体学来实现的，而时间分辨率是通过为激发和 X 射线探针产生强烈的飞秒脉冲来实现的。激光技术的最新发展允许构建基于实验室的仪器，该仪器能够主要使用粉末衍射方法进行飞秒时间分辨 X 射线晶体学。该仪器将实现广泛的科学应用，包括实验光药理学、太阳能电池研究、能源储存、光电子学、热电学、核相干研究、纳米光子学和等离子体激元、胶体和生物分子结构。一个引人注目的例子是演示用于光药理学和能量存储的基于染料的光开关分子的光异构化反应。超快测量将确定有机分子顺式/反式光异构化的激发态重构和非绝热动力学。通过在光药理学目标中使用靛蓝部分来证明其影响，从而光调节生物分子目标分子中的底物结合。此外，太阳能材料照射后结构动力学的研究对于理解和优化功能至关重要。太阳能电池技术、新型材料的快速发展和效率的不断提高将需要对材料甚至工作装置进行超快的结构测量。